Animated amusement device



J. KUNEN May 20, 1941.

ANIMATED AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Dec. 23, 1939 v|| rm.

INVENTOR.

mm mm m Patented May 20, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to amusement devices and is particularly applicable to animated accompaniment for toy pianos.

The general object of the invention is to provide a keyboard musical instrument with animated accompaniment which is actuated automatically in playing the instrument.

Another object of the invention is to provide a piano, and especially a toy piano, with automatic dancing accompaniment.

Another object is to provide a-keyboard musical instrument, and especially a toy piano, with interchangeable and replaceable dancing figures which automatically accompany the piano when it is played.

Still further objects of the invention are to accomplish the foregoing objects with mechanism in the nature of an attachment applicable to existing commercial toy pianos.

Fig. 1 of the drawing is a front elevation of a toy piano (minus the legs) with the present invention applied thereto. In the figure a portion of the keyboard cover is broken away to completely expose the dancing figure.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the keyboard mechanism of the piano, with operating mechanism of the present invention applied thereto. In this figure the keyboard mechanism is shown removed from the piano, and one key is broken away.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing a detachable connection between certain parts of the mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary isometric view showing a modified form of standard which can be used in place of the standard shown in Fig. 1, for the purpose of suspending a plurality of dancing figures.

The piano has an exterior housing I which comprises sides 2 and 3, a bottom member 4, and a top member 5. The bottom member 4 is removable as shown in Fig. 2, and when it is in assembled relation with the piano, it is secured in place by screws passing through holes 6 (six shown). Carried by the bottom member 4 is a keyboard designated as a whole by 8. A hinged cover 9 is arranged in conventional manner to be opened and expose the keys for playing. In ordinary toy piano construction many of the parts, including sides 2 and 3, bottom member 4, top 5, and cover 9, are made of wood.

The keyboard shown comprises eight keys Ill positioned above and pivoted to a cross bar I I. This bar is triangular in vertical cross section,

having an apex at the top. The pivotal attachment of the keys [0 to the cross bar ll may be made in any suitable way. One way is by means of rectangles of flexible sheet material l2, one for each of the keys. Such a rectangle of sheet material stands in a vertical position so that it appears only in cross section in Fig. 2. The lower half of a flexible sheet I2 is glued in place in a vertical groove 1 in the top of cross bar H, and the top half of the flexible sheet is glued in a companion vertical groove in the bottom of a key Ill.

Each of the keys I0 is provided with a hammer I3 attached to the free end of a flexible strip M which is secured to the key proper at I5. The flexible strip I4 is scored at I6 to give increased flexibility at this point. The key I0 is so balanced that the hammer end of the key is biased downwardly, being moved upwardly by pressure applied to the playing end of the key. When a key is struck, the flexible strip l4 permits the hammer I3 to continue moving upwardly by momentum after the movement of the key proper has terminated. The playing stroke of the keys is limited by a felt strip 3, while the return stroke is limited by another felt strip IS.

The top 5 of the piano housing acts as a sounding board or sounding member. Aflixed to the under side of this top are a series of vibratory members (not shown) which are struck by the hammers 13 when the keys are operated. These vibratory members are often not real strings, but vibratory rods which, however, produce sounds corresponding approximately to the sounds of piano strings.

The piano as thus far described is an existing form of commercial toy piano now on the market. I will now describe the mechanism which I may add to this piano in accordance with the present invention.

Aflixed to bottom member 4 on either side of the keyboard are pivotal supports 20 and 2|. These may be of any suitable form, but are shown as U-shaped sheet metal sections open at the top. Pivoted to supports 20 and 2| is a closed frame, designated as a Whole by 22. This frame may be made of still wire and has side portions 23 and 24, a front portion 25 which passes under the keys I0, and converging portions 26 and 28. The side portions 23 and 24 are shown as formed with single convolutions constituting eyes at 29 and 30 through which pass pivot pins 3| and 32 that are mounted in the legs of U-shaped supports 20 and 2|. Attached to converging fram portions 26 and 28 at their meeting point is a vertical socket 33.

When the bottom member 4 is assembled with the piano as shown in Fig. 1, socket 33 is positioned directly beneath a suitable hole in the piano cover 5. Through this hole there is inserted a stiff wire standard 38 which has an arm portion 39 provided with a hook 40. Detachably suspended from hook 40 of standard 38 is an animated dancing figure designated as a whole by 4|; and the suspension includes a vibratile helical spring 31. This figure may be made of wood or fiber. It has arms 42, 42 pivoted at 43, 43; and it has legs 44, 44, which have knee joints 45, 45 and hip joints 45, 46. The figure is also provided with feet 53, 5B which may rest lightly against the top 5 of the piano.

While Fig. 1 shows standard 38 as supporting only one dancing figure, provision may be made for supporting any reasonable number of dancing figures. In Fig. 4 there is shown a standard 38 which may be substituted for standard 38, and which is provided with two hooks 40, 40 so that two figures can be suspended on top of the piano.

The pivotal arrangement of frame 22 and the weight of dancing figure 4| is such that standard 38 is normally in down position with front portion 25 of the frame resting against the under side of the keys ill. Striking any of the keys I in playing the piano rocks the pivoted frame 22 and elevates standard 38. This, with the accompanying action of spring 31 starts the animation of the dancing figure. When the key is released, the dancing figure 4| moves downwardly and is further jiggled by the vibratile spring 3'! and by the feet striking the cover 5 of the piano. The combined movements result in the figure executing a tap dance on the sounding member or cover 5 of the piano.

By operating the piano keys with different degrees of force, different timing, and different speeds of movement during the various portions of the key stroke, the dancing figure 4| can be made to move in various intriguing manners. The arms wave, the knees bend, and the feet tap dance against the top of the piano, thereby producing intriguing dancing effects which constitute not only a visual but audible accompaniment to the piano music.

In compliance with the patent statutes, I have disclosed the best form in which I have contemplated applying my invention, but it will be understood that the foregoing disclosure is merely illustrative and that many variations can be made within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard and also having an exterior housing: a. standard projecting upwardly through the top of the housing; a dancing figure suspended from said standard and removed from said keyboard; and lever mechanism within said housing, said lever mechanism supporting said standard and having a portion extending in the path of movement of a plurality of the keys of said keyboard, whereby the dancing figure is automatically actuated when any key of said plurality is operated in playing the musical instrument.

2. In combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard and also having an exterior housing: a standard projecting upwardly through the top of the housing; a dancing figure suspended from said standard and removed from said keyboard, the suspension including a vibratile spring to which the weight of the figure is applied; and lever mechanism within said housing, said lever mechanism supporting said standard and having a portion extending in the path of movement of a. plurality of the keys of said keyboard, whereby the dancing figure is automatically actuated when any key of said plurality is operated in playing the musical instrument.

3. In combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard and also having an exterior hollow housing: a standard projecting upwardly through the top of the housing; a dancing figure suspended from said standard and removed from said keyboard, the suspension including a vibratile spring to which the Weight of the figure is applied, and the figure being provided with feet positioned to strike the top of said housing when the figure is moved up and down, the top of the housing acting as a sounding board struck by said feet, and horizontally pivoted lever mechanism within said housing, said lever mechanism supporting said standard and having a portion extending in the path of movement of keys of said keyboard, whereby the dancing figure is automatically moved up and down when keys of the keyboard are operated in playing the musical instrument.

4. In combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard and also having means removed from said keyboard and presenting an upwardly facing exterior surface: a movable support extending above said surface; a dancing figure suspended from said support and having feet positioned to strike said surface when the support is moved up and down, said surface acting as a sounding board struck by said feet; and mechanism to impart up-and-down movement to said support in response to operation of any key of a plurality of the keys of said keyboard inplaying the musical instrument.

5. In combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard: a sounding member removed from said keyboard and adapted to be struck by an animated figure, an animated figure, movable means to support said figure in juxtaposition to said sounding member, and mechanism to impart movement to said movable means in response to operation of any key of a plurality of the keys of said keyboard, whereby the animated figure is automatically actuated and struck against said sounding member when any key of said plurality is operated in playing the musical instrument.

6. In combination with a toy piano having a keyboard and also having an exterior hollow housing: a pivoted frame within the housing; a standard detachably connected to said frame and extending upwardly to a position above the top of said housing; and a dancing figure detachablly suspended from said standard and removed from said keyboard, the figure having pivoted arms and legs and having feet positioned to strike the top of said housing when the standard is moved up and down, the top of said housing acting as a sounding board struck by said feet; said pivoted frame having a portion lying in the path of movement of parts of the piano which move when any key of a plurality of the keys of said keyboard is operated, whereby the figure automatically dances on the top of the piano when any key of said plurality is operated in playing the piano.

'7. In combination with a toy piano having a keyboard and also having an exterior housing: a frame within the housing; pivotal supports for the frame positioned on opposite sides of the keyboard; a standard detachab-ly connected to said frame and extending upwardly through the top of the piano housing; and a dancing figure detachably suspended from said standard, the suspension including a vibrati'le spring, and the figure having pivoted legs and also having feet positioned to strike the top of the housing when the standard is moved up and down; said pivoted frame having a portion lying in the path of movement of all of the keys of said keyboard, whereby the frame is rocked and the figure automatically dances on top of the piano when any of the keys of the keyboard is operated in playing the piano.

8. In combination with a toy piano having a keyboard and also having an exterior hollow housing: a movable support extending upwardly through the top of said housing; an animated figure mounted on said support removed from said keyboard and positioned to strike the top of said housing when the support is moved, the top of said housing acting as a sounding board struck by said figure; and mechanism to impart movement to said support in response to operation of any of a plurality of the keys of said keyboard in playing the piano.

9. In combination with a toy piano having a keyboard and also having an exterior hollow housing: a movable support extending upwardly through the top of said housing, a dancing figure mounted on said support removed from said keyboard and having feet positioned to strike the top of said housing when the support is moved, the top of said housing acting as a sounding board struck by said feet; and mechanism detachably connected with said support and operative to impart movement to said support in response to operation of any of a plurality of the keys of said keyboard in playing the piano.

JULIUS KUNEN. 

